This invention relates to methods and apparatus for handling double-sided adhesive tabs, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for removing double-sided adhesive tabs from a carrier tape and for feeding the removed tabs to other apparatus.
Double-sided adhesive tabs typically comprise a web or web-like substrate of paper, plastic film, metal foil, or the like having an adhesive coating on both of its major surfaces or sides. The tab may have any shape (e.g., square, rectangular, circular, etc.) and may be of any size. Such tabs have many uses. For example, in the manufacture of cigarettes a tab of this kind may be used to connect the tail end of one cigarette paper supply web to the starting end of another cigarette paper supply web so that the cigarette-making machine can operate without interruption when the first supply web is exhausted.
Double-sided adhesive tabs are extremely difficult to handle because they are adhesive on both sides. Typically they must be kept completely separate from one another because they cannot be easily separated once they come into contact with one another. Thus one common way in which they are supplied is by releasably adhesively securing them in a spaced arrangement on one side of a longitudinal carrier tape. In order to allow the carrier tape to be supplied in a roll, the other side of the tape is made so that the tabs do not significantly adhere to it. Tabs are used by peeling them from the carrier tape (e.g., by hand) and applying them when and where needed.
Such manual handling of the tabs is undesirable for several reasons such as high cost, low reliability, possible product contamination, etc.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for handling double-sided adhesive tabs.
It is a more particular object of the invention to provide methods and apparatus for removing double-sided adhesive tabs from a carrier tape, and for feeding the removed tabs to other apparatus.